Even now it doesn’t seem like fifteen years ago that the fledgling annual Festival was started, but since then, we have seen it steadily take root with visitors and islanders alike looking forward to it. St. John is unique in that respect.
Many different events have been sponsored in the past: from Puerto Rican mariachi bands, arts and crafts from Ghana and Kakuta of the Maasai from Kenya, to name just a few, bringing a variety of other cultures to this small island, widening its vista while providing a platform for displaying the special music, arts and crafts of the people of St. John and the U. S. Virgin Islands.
Although staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers, the consistent sponsorship of the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, the Department of Tourism , and the local businesses has been, and still is, crucial to providing a high standard of professional artists and performers.
This year’s program, centered in Franklin Powell Sr. Park, Cruz Bay, kicks-off at noon on Saturday 14th February — “Children’s Day,” — with the “Love City Pan Dragons,” a children’s steel pan band, followed by a “Children’s Choral Concert,” then “Children’s Dancing” and finishing with a performance by the “Love City Leapers,” a lively Children’s jump-rope team.
On Sunday at 2 p.m. there will be a Gospel Concert with choruses from local churches, followed by traditional island Quadrille Dancers. Then, in the evening, at 7.30 pm, at the St.John School of the Arts, there will be a most spiritually moving and uplifting film entitled: “States of Grace,” introduced by the filmmakers Mark Lipman and Helen Cohen.
Monday, (President’s Day), in the afternoon, the very colorful and talented Caribbean Ritual Dancers, with children Moko Jumbies, perform in the Park, followed by Koko and the Sunshine Band playing classic old-time scratch band songs.
On Tuesday afternoon, we will have Latin-American music and dancing in the Park with the Samba Combo Band.
As part of the West Indies, St.Thomas and St. John have a Cricket Association and many enthusiasts, who will be demonstrating the game at Sprauve and Gifft Hill schools later in the afternoon.
This will be followed by a film entitled: “Fire in Babylon” at Gifft Hill School auditorium at 7.30 p.m., a terrific film documenting the outstanding success of the West Indies Cricket Team.
On Wednesday afternoon, in the Park, there will be a concert by St. John’s reggae band, Inner Visions, and no Festival would be complete without it!
All the while, there will be a select exhibition of hand-made island crafts in both the Dept. of Tourism’s little park and the main park.
A show of children’s art will be on the second floor of The Market Place, as in past years.
That’s just a brief sample of the program at this point. The full program will be published in a week or so.
Enjoy this little jewel of St. John.
